1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to language processing apparatuses equipped with dictionaries, and more specifically, to a function of aiding a user in producing a dictionary and an apparatus therefor in a language processing apparatus for aiding a user in producing a part of the dictionary.
2. Description of the Related Art
Language processing apparatuses in practical use at present include word processors for aiding a person in making documents, translating machines for translating a document written in a language into another language and the like. These language processing apparatuses are provided with dictionaries stored with information depending upon their respective objects. The term dictionary used herein indicates systematic arrangement in which a number of unit items each formed of an entry and various sets of information associated thereto are integrated so that a desired item can easily be retrieved utilizing its entry. The dictionary is principally stored in a machine-readable non-volatile medium in a machine-readable manner.
Work efficiency greatly decreases if there exists a word in a document to be processed or produced by a user utilizing such a language processing apparatus, which word is not included as an entry in a dictionary equipped to the apparatus. However, if too many words are prestored in the dictionary, the necessary amount of memory will be too large, thereby slowing down the processing speed. Accordingly, to cope with such a situation, a language processing apparatus of this kind generally has a "function of producing a user dictionary". The user dictionary is produced in the language processing apparatus by the user by inputting entries and associated information. When the language processing apparatus executes a language processing, the apparatus uses the user dictionary together with the dictionary originally equipped.
It is assumed that the method of using words to be registered in a user dictionary is regular. More specifically, assume that all the words to be registered are utilized based on a pattern defined by the grammatical theory of a language to be used. In such a case, the number of variant patterns is limited. Accordingly, the contents to be registered in the user dictionary include a word to be registered, its part of speech, and information designating one of a limited number of inflection patterns present in the language to which the inflection pattern of the word belongs to. More specifically, in this case, it is not necessary to register all the forms the word actually takes in various grammatical conditions. Many forms may be produced utilizing the language processing function of the language processing apparatus based on one form decided as the original form of the word, its part of speech, and its inflection pattern.
If inflection of a word to be registered in a user dictionary is irregular, however, simple registration as described above would not be sufficient. In this case, the contents to be registered include the original form of the word, its part of speech, and all the forms the word actually takes in various grammatical conditions. The user must input all the information.
Consider that a language to be used is English. If the part of speech of a word to be registered is a verb, there are, as variants to be input besides the original form, the third person singular present form, the past form, the past participle, and the present participle. Therefore, five kinds of forms altogether must be input for one verb.
Assume that a word to be registered in a user dictionary is a phrasal expression. Hereinafter, a "phrasal expression" means an expression which consists of a plurality of words which appear to be a plurality of words but is treated en bloc as a single word in function. When a phrasal expression is to be registered in a user dictionary, it is a convenient and usual practice to register them as a single word. In this case, if the entire phrasal expression irregularly changes, the portions to be changed are determinate depending upon languages. For example, assume that a language to be used is English. If the part of speech of a phrasal expression is verb, the head word among the group of words constituting the phrasal expression is most likely to change. Meanwhile, if the part of speech of the compound word is noun, the last word among the group of words constituting the phrasal expression is most likely to change. However, despite such linguistic characteristics, in a function of producing a user dictionary in a conventional language processing apparatus, phrasal expressions are treated in the same way as usual words, and in the case of English verbs, for example, five kinds of forms for each irregular verb must be input.
Therefore, in a function of producing a user dictionary in a conventional language processing apparatus, a problem is encountered that user inconvenience in registering words with irregular variants and phrasal expressions cannot be alleviated.